


Knight of Freeport

by Liniel



Series: The Norrath Saga [16]
Category: EverQuest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-18 23:10:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22101352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liniel/pseuds/Liniel
Series: The Norrath Saga [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1429207





	1. Chapter 1

The Commonlands had a rugged beauty that stole Rienna’s breath as she sat down, legs crossed neatly, to watch the sun beam its golden smile at the city of Freeport. She had always loved the first blush of dawn in those early hours of the day, when the world was still wrapped in dreams and the morning was full of promises.

Her body was sore and aching after days of exercise, but she barely noticed. A part of her even welcomed the pain because she was back in her own body again. Her mind was occupied with daydreams of faraway places only heard of in tales and books. Of cold nights and stardust, of frost-kissed grass under trembling fingertips and warm breath turning to mist, rushing past blushing lips. She dreamt of crackling camp fires and cast iron cauldrons, their bellies rich with treasure: rabbit stew, and then a mug of ale passed around a circle of friends while the night slowly shifted into a pale dawn. She dreamt of endless oceans of sand and the lush greenery of an oasis, where veiled women moved gracefully through an intricate dance, a celebration of love and passion and beauty shaded by palm trees.

And the road.

Always, she dreamt of a path winding through forests and across plains, never ending, the destination always somewhere by the horizon. She longed to walk it. Sometimes, that longing tingled through her entire being, fear mingled with excitement. And perhaps, Rienna thought to herself as she slowly opened her eyes to smile at the sunrise, she was already following her path. For what is life, if not an adventure? A journey, a winding path that forms beneath our feet as we walk it. Every choice making it shift and turn as if it was a living thing. We’re not born to a destiny set in stone: we shape it, with every step we take. Every word we speak, every action.

“Yes”, thought Rienna as she tilted her head to watch blushing clouds chase across the skies, her red hair spilling down her back. “Life is an adventure. And mine has just begun."


	2. Journal entry

_I have taken the oath of Knighthood. Never in my wildest dreams did I think an honor such as this would be bestowed upon me. My life, my soul - everything that I am and ever will be now belong to the Overlord and to the man who commands the Freeport Militia 3rd Cavalry Division, until he sees it fit to release me from service or death takes me._

_But no. Death will never truly release me from service. I am sure the necromancers will find a way to let me continue my work, even beyond death. And it is as it should be. Loyalty knows no boundaries, accepts no limitations. Just like love. I've heard some sneer at love as if it was unworthy of a Knight. I think they are wrong. I think, that love makes us better Knights, better persons for is it not my great admiration for our Overlord and an undying love for the city itself that gives me strength? Is it not love for Lucan D'Lere that fills my heart with pride and faith every moment that I live to work his will?_

_I told my lord commander and his officers during my interview that I am not a religious woman. But the truth is, I am. I have faith in our Overlord and trust in his judgment. He is more than man, more than any of us. It is treason, nay heresy to question his commands. How could we ever presume to know better than him in all his wisdom and great insight? We cannot. We must follow his guidance, living every moment of our lives filled with gratitude and reverence and always, always strike hard at those who would see him fall. Love... It is a strange thing. Even though my heart is full of love for my ruler and my city and I have everything I ever dreamed of, something is still amiss. I cannot quite put my finger on it. Every now and then, there's a tug at my heart and I am overcome by a sudden sadness. Perhaps it will disperse if I work even harder than before. At least it will keep my mind from wandering._

__

__

_I’m working harder than ever, finding little time to rest and relax, these days – but whatever spare time I have, I spend it in my music room or the Conservatory. Lady Ancalime, my former employer, sent me a harp… I’m sure she didn’t know. But now it’s there, beautiful and elegantly curved, standing in a corner of the music room. How I yearn to run my fingers over the strings… Perhaps I would be able to control the magic? I am stronger, more focused. Surely, it won’t take me over now._


	3. Allure

The heavy wooden door clicked shut behind Rienna’s back. She stood motionless, her eyes closed, breathing a soft sigh as she listened to the silence. Seconds passed by, a never-ending stream of bits and pieces, moments and junctures drifting through her dark, empty rooms. The memories of her father stabbed at her heart, but she would not allow herself to cry. She would live through this, just as she had lived through everything else leading up to this moment. Slast was right. People would come and go as day was added today and her life carried on. She would lose friends, family, the people she loved. She would lose belongings that were dear to her… But she would always have herself, her own strength and resourcefulness, no matter what.  
She hugged herself, alone in the lingering darkness of her hallway. She would stay strong, keep herself together and ---

Something stole into her mind, slithering through her core. It beckoned to her, its voice soft and alluring. Wild longing rushed through her and then ebbed away, leaving her with a dull aching, a quiet yearning within her heart. Slowly, she half-opened her eyes and stalked through the study, following the calling. When she reached the stairs, she paused to listen. Music spilled down the stairs to wash over her, ethereal and haunting. It wrapped around her soul, breathing life into dormant memories and forbidden wishes. Her tawny eyes filled with dreams, Rienna slowly followed the music.

Abandoned to darkness, the harp stood alone in its corner, shadows lapping against it. Rie shook her head in a vain attempt to clear her mind and return to reality, but she was losing the battle, the seductive, fluid music resonating with her heart until all she could feel was the longing. Every step took her closer to the harp, and even though she could see that the strings were perfectly still, her blood still sang the music it played.

Trembling, she pushed a chair closer to the harp and sat down to pull it onto her shoulder, resting it against her chest. Slender fingers touched the strings, pausing in hesitation. Behind her closed eyelids, images rushed forth – memories from a distant childhood, long buried in a frightened mind. She knew what was out there waiting for her, yet she could no longer find it within her to resist. She ran her fingertips lightly across the strings, an absent smile flirting with her lips as the music within quieted, and the harp responded to her skillful caresses. Music swirled around her as she played, eyes closed and fingers rapidly plucking the strings.

Somewhere in the lost and wild places of Norrath, a being reared its head and roared in anticipation, hearing its mistress call.


	4. Journal entry

_Belen. His name is a song washing over me, drowning out the shrieks of the meliva. I watch him sleep, curled up against me in the dark hours of the night. I have made him a crib but it remains in a corner of my bedroom, empty and cold. I want him close to me, to hear his breath and see his mouth curve in smiles… He dreams, warm and safe in the comfort of my own bed. My beautiful baby dreams, soothed by lullabies. I touch my nose to his forehead, breathing his scent. Soon, it will be familiar to me and my heart sings with joy dreaming of the days to come. Belen… His tousled hair is fire and molten lava, red and flaming like my own. I am so afraid to harm him, so afraid that the wild agony inside will surface and wrap my son in chaos and confusion… I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can control the magic, the music burning in my veins. I can. I will._

_When I saw him in Slast’s arms, knowing the captain would sell the baby if she could get to him, the decision was quickly made. How can I look into his beautiful, dark eyes and remain the same? All my resistance melting away, the ice around my heart thawing… My world changed in that first moment, when our eyes met and he gazed into the depths of my soul. Of course I accepted Belen, of course I did. What kind of woman could condemn a boy child, a human boy child, to a life as a slave, or worse? I will raise him as my own, guide him gently along his path in life. If someone thinks differently, if someone tries to lay a finger on my beautiful son, they will have to go through me. Hell, they will have to go through Slast, facing his wrath. He seems just as protective of Belen as I am, and this thought gives me comfort. Even if I fall, I know he will take care of Belen and provide for him._

_I watch my son sleep and dream, his eyelids fluttering now and then. His tiny hand closes around my finger and my heart is warm with love, touched by an angel radiant and glorious like the sun._

_My dreams are filled with the soft rustling of wings._

_The magic crawling beneath my skin is easier to control now. It builds up, builds builds builds until my mind is screaming mouths and cracking bones, blood curdling in writhing veins and woven into the dissonance: the wailing shrieks of the meliva. And I listen. I watch. What other choices do I have? If I could live without the music, maybe I’d know peace… But I would dead inside._

_My muse whispers softly me in the night, and his breath on my skin is the warm winds of the south, the murmur of the sea. Find the balance. Gotta find the balance. And so I seek out the wild and lonely places of the world, where silvery moonlight settles among whispering leaves and stones full of memory and there, there there there I sing the violent agony ever clawing at my heart._

_I can do this. I can do this. I can do this._


	5. Maestra

Rienna awoke to the crystalline sound of a single tone ebbing away into deafening silence. Her heart jerked, cold fear stealing her breath and making her skin prickle. Snapping her gaze to the crib where Belen slept peacefully, she threw off the covers and swung her feet over the side of the bed, clinging to one last, desperate hope. Slast will save him. Slast will come at dawn and take Belen away from this house of death. She more felt than heard the movement downstairs, her lips feverishly whispering the mantra over and over as she stiffly walked to lay a hand against the bedroom door, pausing there with her eyes closed. She drew a few jagged breaths, intense nausea making her intestines writhe. Slast will save him. There was no time left. No more sand in the hourglass, out of time, out of time. She would die, but her son could still live, if she managed to keep his existence a secret.

Struggling to force back the panic washing over her in cold waves, Rie turned the knob and slipped out of the bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind her. She wouldn’t scream. This was the promise she made to herself stumbling down the stairs, eyes darting around, desperately trying to pierce the lingering shadows lurking in her rooms. No nonono no. A hand brushed over harp strings and Rienna sunk to the floor, knees giving way under her. She brought her curled fist to her temples, face creasing in pain as her very soul resonated with chaotic, wild music, sharp migraine pains nearly rendering her unconscious. .. sa… save him. The words were losing meaning to her but she kept whispering them wordlessly, clinging to them as wave after wave of red, hot pain crashed over her, burning away the last remnants of sanity. Slast. Belen. And they too sank deep down into the sea of torment within her soul, leaving her alone in the dark.

She crawled. Blood rushed from her ears and nose, her body trembling violently – and still she crawled, drawn to the music room like a moth to the flame. Shadows lapped against the harp, swirling around its graceful curves, winding between the strings. It gathered into a reflection of her own features, tawny eyes gleaming madly with bloodlust, a sadistic smile curving her lips. Rienna stared at her image, frozen in place while the being’s features shifted and transformed into a woman so unearthly beautiful it made her heart break, tears mingled with blood spilling down her face.

“Aww. You are stronger than that, Clàrsach.” The unfamiliar word dropped from the woman’s lips to ripple the surface of Rienna’s soul. With great difficulty, the bardess formed words in her tormented mind, her lips stiff and numb as she spoke them. “W-w-hat are you?” The woman smirked, twirling her finger. Rienna writhed on the floor in agony, wordless screams distorting her features. “I am the Mistress … my beautiful, deadly harp.” The words sunk deep into Rienna’s core, tearing at her heart and shattered mind until all she could see was a red mist filling the air with the sickly sweet smell of blood. Broken, she curled up on the floor, hugging herself, blankly staring into nothingness. The mistress sighed, motioning with her hand. “You are of no use to me in that condition.” And the world came rushing back, an intricately interwoven tapestry of colors and scents and sounds.

“No… No.. No.” Shaking her head in disbelief, Rienna slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, a horrifying realization dawning on her. The Mistress chuckled softly, and the shrieks of the Meliva pierced Rienna’s mind. “Come now child, what did you expect?” She smirked. “You have tampered with magic far beyond your grasp, and now it is destroying you. The Melivas sang to me of your torment, of the anguish tearing your soul asunder… How can I resist playing such a delicate, deadly instrument?”  
Rienna grit her teeth against the pain piercing every cell of her body, her breath coming raspy and short. “I am not your tool.”

Another migraine hit her hard before she’d even finished speaking. “Silence! Foolish mortal.” A cruel smirk on her lips, the Mistress plucked a harp string and watched Rienna squirm on the floor. “The magic of music resonates in your blood… You cannot escape it, nor the pain it brings you. Your body is not strong enough to harbor that kind of magic.” She turned her eyes from the jerking body to the harp, musing. “It is a curse, a cruelly agonizing curse… Ingenious, if I may say so myself – and I may, I am a goddess, I can say anything I want.” She chuckled darkly. “And now you in turn will inflict pain and misery upon others in a desperate attempt at relieving your own suffering.”  
The Mistress began to fade away, dissolving into shadows. “… The tune of their screams will be a glorious, hate filled composition. Your tribute to me. And with this, I leave you with a parting gift, my sweet.” Only her voice lingered in the room now, hauntingly beautiful and ethereal. “You will soon see…”

The last sentence hung in the air, sending cold shivers down Rienna’s spine. “… And if you fail me… the ones you love will pay the price, and you, my maestra… you will witness their suffering.”


	6. Journal entry

_I write, alone in a world of dusk. Already, Night rises in magnificent glory to crawl across the face of Norrath. In his wake tattered shadows will follow, ragged nightmares come to devour the world and cover it in darkness. The breath of night carries with it the smell of decay and withered flowers, of moist soil and broken hearts. Skillfully, the Maestra plays her harp and the allure of her chaotic, dissonant melody resonates within my soul. Magic crawls beneath my skin; her music rushing through my veins and I bleed her songs, bleed bleed bleed until their faces are wordlessly screaming, twisted visions of torment._

_Praji knows. Play the harp, he bade me. Foolish man. And I enwrapped him in madness and agony, savoring his shrieks, fascinated by the beauty of a shattered mind. When you peel away the layer upon layer of civility and the carefully woven illusions and behaviors that shield our innermost selves from the eyes of the world, you truly see a man. Fears and wants, secrets buried so deep the conscious mind can never reach them, all brought to the surface ~and I relished every second of his pain.  
Belen stirs in his sleep. Our small family is growing, now that his sister has found her way home. To me, to us. She rests downstairs, surrounded by her art, and my heart overflows with love and gratitude. By the Overlord’s grace, our paths are now entwined and we will find strength in each other. The children, their father and I._

_My 21st birthday draws near, and the child I carry under my heart grows stronger by the day. I can sense her; a tiny spark of life within me. It’s still too early to feel her movements, but her life’s song resonates with my own and I love her more than I ever thought possible. The Overlord help me, how I love her. I do not care what people say about me and my family. Ever since I came to Freeport as a young girl, I have been told that I am flawed and impure. Weak, tainted and unworthy. But you know what? I am proud of what I have accomplished, I am proud of my children and how they grow stronger by the day. I am proud of my beloved, standing by his side always… The true meaning of unfailing loyalty, of faithfulness._

_Strength in Unity. That means that you do not turn your back on those that you have sworn to protect and care for, for we are stronger together then when we are apart. A new morning dawns outside my window, and I listen to the sounds of Belen stirring in his sleep. Today will be a good day, I can feel it._

_At night my dreams are still filled with the soft rustle of wings; wings and piercing screams._


	7. Ashes

It was one of the hardest things Rienna had ever been forced to do. She stood in her library, her children sleeping downstairs; fingertips pressed lightly against closed eyelids to keep the burning tears from bursting forth. Her beloved's voice still lingered in her mind, filled with disgust and contempt. It stabbed at her heart remembering it, but she knew it had been silly of her to cling to memories of happier days, to treasure possessions when she knew in her heart that everything she had could be taken away from her at a whim. This was better, no matter how much it hurt. At least now, she could say her farewell in private instead of being publically humiliated. For this, she was grateful.

Quietly, Rienna exhaled a sigh and walked the few steps to the bookshelf. Her hands trembled lightly as she ran her fingertips down the backs of beloved volumes filled with stories and songs. “Good bye…” she whispered, throat tight with emotion. “.. and thank you for the wonderful things you have shown me.”

Outside, a flash of lightning ripped through the air, startling the young woman out of her reverie. Mechanically, she gathered armfuls of books and tomes, carrying them into the sitting room. Shadows writhed on the walls in rhythm with the crackling of a fire burning in the fireplace, the light dancing over her skin as she kneeled down. One by one, she fed the treasured books to the snapping flames, her face now blank and void of emotion. When she had nothing more to give, she remained sitting on the stone floor of her room watching the fire devour every last word, until at long last the flames died down and all that remained were ashes.


End file.
